Zindagi (1940 film)

Zindagi
1940 poster
Directed byPramathesh Barua
Written byJaved Hussain and Kidar Nath Sharma
Produced byBirendranath Sircar
StarringK. L. Saigal
Jamuna
Pahari Sanyal
Sitara Devi
CinematographyPramathesh Barua
Music byPankaj Mullick
Production
company
Release date
  • 1940 (1940)
Running time
120 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindustani
Box office₹91.75 lakhs[2]

Zindagi (transl. The Life) is a 1940 Indian film, directed by Pramathesh Barua and produced by Birendranath Sircar. Starring K. L. Saigal, Jamuna Barua, Pahari Sanyal, Shyam Laha, Sitara Devi, and Nemo,[3] it revolves around Ratan, an unemployed university graduate, and his relationship with Shrimati, who is on the run from her cruel husband.

Earning ₹55 lakhs net (valued at about ₹39.78 crore in 2009), Zindagi was the highest-grossing Indian film at the time of its release, before its record was broken by Khazanchi in 1941.[4][2]

The film has been described as one of Barua's "most beautiful films, and his last for New Theatres".[5] It was the last film by Barua for New Theatres.[6][7] Barua later married Jamuna as his second wife.[8] This film was remade into Bengali as Priyo Bandhabi in 1943 directed By Soumen Mukherjee. No copy of the film is known to exist, making it a lost film.[9]

  1. ^ "Zindagi (Life), 1940, 120 mins - Film Heritage Foundation". 28 August 2014. Archived from the original on 19 April 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b Box Office India. "Top Earners 1940". boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2008.
  3. ^ "Zindagi (1940)". Complete Index to World Film. Alan Goble. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  4. ^ "BoxOffice India.com". 5 February 2009. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  5. ^ Garga, Bhagwan Das (1996). So many cinemas: the motion picture in India. Eminence Designs. pp. 89–92. ISBN 978-81-900602-1-9. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  6. ^ Garga, B. D. (1 December 2005). Art Of Cinema. Penguin UK. ISBN 9788184754315. Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  7. ^ Patel, Bhaichand (15 January 2016). Bollywood's Top 20: Superstars of Indian Cinema. Penguin UK. ISBN 9788184755985. Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  8. ^ Nevile, Pran (11 May 2011). K. L. Saigal: The Definitive Biography. Penguin UK. ISBN 9789352141609. Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  9. ^ "India's Top 10 Lost Films - Compiled by P.K. Nair - Film Heritage Foundation". Film Heritage Foundation. 30 August 2014. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2018.